Neglected Negombo draws Minister’s ire

Negombo, which is one of the most popular tourism destinations in the country, is in a neglected state with even the most basic services not being provided by the Municipal Council. This was revealed during a meeting Tourism Development Minister John Amaratunga had with hoteliers, tourism sector representatives and key state officials in Negombo recently.

The hoteliers submitted photographic and video recorded evidence showing garbage being piled up on roadsides, sewage water being discharged on to the beach, key roads in darkness due to fused street lamps and the unchecked construction of illegal structures on the beach. Tourism Minister John Amaratunga who was shocked by the revelations criticised the municipal authorities for not doing their job. “Negombo is a key tourist destination. We are promoting this destination all over the world but the conditions here are terrible. There is absolutely no maintenance of even the most basic services such as garbage collection,”observed Minister Amaratunga.

Hoteliers complained that the services rendered by the local authority were so poor that the Negombo Hoteliers Association had taken upon itself the responsibility of at least keeping the beach clean. Minister Amaratunga noted that if tourism was to be developed the local authorities must cooperate and ensure a proper environment is created for tourism. “This is an absurd state of affairs. Tourists form a very poor opinion of Sri Lanka because of the lethargy of some officials. Besides being an eyesore it is also unhygienic and could lead to the spread of diseases,” he said.

Hoteliers charged that they were being charged high rates by the Negombo Municipal Council but no services were being provided in return. It was revealed during the meeting that a road sweeping machine bought at a cost of Rs. 17 million and a beach cleaner costing a similar amount were lying idle at the Municipal Council with no attempts being made to repair the two machines.

Meanwhile a Coast Conservation Department official who was present at the meeting gave an undertaking that all illegal structures on the beach will be removed within a month. The Minister requested the police who were represented at the meeting through the DIG in charge of the area, not to allow people to drive vehicles on the beach. The hoteliers complained that vehicles were speeding on the beach endangering the safety of others. 

The hoteliers also stated that various illegal activities such as the illicit sale of alcohol were taking place on the beach and this posed a threat to the legitimate establishments. 

Based on the instructions of the Minister the police gave an undertaking that regular beach patrols will be carried out. “Security is of utmost importance not only for tourists but for locals as well. We need to ensure a safe and secure environment for all visitors. Steps will be taken to repair the street lights as well,” assured Minister Amaratunga.

Hoteliers said that although they had made representations from time to time about the entire Kuda Paduwa area being in darkness due to the absence of street lights, no action had been taken upto this point. They said there was a serious threat of mosquito borne diseases as no spraying of drains etc. was taking place. The stray dog menace was another issue that was causing concern.

Minister John Amaratunga said that a new Tourist Information Centre will be set up in Negombo and part of the duties of this centre will be to monitor and report on the conditions in the tourist areas. The Tourism Development Authority will also install public awareness boards carrying important information at strategic locations, as part of the campaign to spruce up this key tourist destination.